The present invention relates to tools which are used for the installation or removal of an inner tie rod in a rack and pinion steering mechanism without requiring the removal of the rack and pinion assembly from the vehicle.
An inner socket, more commonly referred to as an inner tie rod can be found on most cars. The inner tie rod is part of the steering system on vehicles equipped with a rack and pinion type of steering mechanism. A rack and pinion steering mechanism includes a left and a right inner tie rod, each extending respectively from opposite ends of the rack and pinion assembly. During the normal course of use of a vehicle, the inner tie rod may become bent, broken or otherwise damaged, thereby requiring that the damaged tie rod be removed and replaced with a new tie rod.
There are two different types of inner tie rods. One type of inner tie rod includes a cylindrical shaped end having a pair of parallel spaced-apart flat surfaces which facilitate the removal and installation of the tie rod. The other type of inner tie rod utilizes a hexagonal shaped end to facilitate the removal and replacement of the inner tie rod. Essentially all Ford, Chrysler and General Motors vehicles include either the hexagonal type of inner tie rod or the cylindrical type of inner tie rod.
While the inner tie rod has one hexagonal shaped end, or a cylindrical end having parallel surfaces, to accommodate a wrench for removal and replacement of the inner tie rod from the rack and pinion assembly, due to obstructions caused by various vehicle parts, the end of the inner tie rod cannot be easily accessed for removal with a wrench on the drivers side of the car, and in most instances, cannot be accessed on the passenger side of the car. Therefore, the normal method of removal and replacement of an inner tie rod involves removal and reinstallation of the entire rack and pinion assembly which is a very time consuming and costly process. Great savings in labor, costs and wear and tear on the pinion gear can be made by removing and replacing the inner tie rod with the rack and pinion assembly remaining in place on the vehicle.
In those cars where hexagonal inner tie rods are used, the left and right inner tie rods are supplied by the vehicle manufacturer having hexagonal ends of a certain size or diameter. Replacement hexagonal inner tie rod parts, however, are available with hexagonal ends in one of generally two different diameters. Therefore, any one hexagonal inner tie rod on a car may have a hexagonal end of two different possible sizes. The left and right inner tie rods on the same car may also be of different sizes. It is therefore particularly useful to have one tool which is capable of removing a variety of different sized hexagonal inner tie rods while the rack and pinion assembly remains in place on the vehicle. It is also particularly useful to have one tool which is capable of removing a variety of different sized hexagonal type of inner tie rods as well as the cylindrical type of inner tie rod.